Dispensing device.



'w. E. FREDERICK.

DISPENSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 10. 1916.

Patented May 15, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. E. FREDERICK.

DISPENSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, 19:6.

LQQGAQBU Patented May15, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLARD E. FREDERICK, OIE PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

DISPENSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 191?.

Application filed April 10, 1916. Serial No. 90,195.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD E. FRED- ERICK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in DispensingDevices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a dispensing device and pertains particularlyto a device for dispensing pencils, matches, tooth-picks, and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a dispensing device whichis fitted with a sanitary container for the articles to be dispensed andwhich container is provided with a mechanism for removing one or morearticles therefrom mechanically.

Another object of this invention is to provide said device with astorage compartment which is inaccessible to the operator except throughthe medium of the mechanical dispensing means formed in connectiontherewith.

A further object is to provide a dispensing device which will releasebut a given number of articles contained therein at each operation. ofits mechanism.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dispensing devicewhich is simple in operation, has few moving parts, all of which act ina positive manner.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated in the accom-' panying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the preferred form of thedispensing device.

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the device.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view as seen on the line 38 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in section similar to that of Fig. 3 and shows themechanism and container in a position for releasing an article from thecontainer.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view. in section as seen on the line 77 of Fig. 6 and showsthe container as closed.

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 7, with parts broken away, andillustrates the container in its operative position.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4: of the drawings, 10 indicates a basemember upon which is mounted a pair of upright members 11 and 12, saidmembers being secured at the outer ends of the base member 10 which issubstantially rectangular in plan. Formed between and connecting theupright members 11 and 12 is a receiver or dish 13 which is positionedadjacent the base mem her and is of a suitable shape to readily allowobjects .to be withdrawn therefrom. The upright members 11 and 12 havehorizontally extending bores therethrough for the reception of trunnionsl4: and 15 of a container 16. The container, as here shown, iscylindrical and preferably formed of glass, and is mounted upon thetrunnions with its aXis disposed horizontally. I have here shown thecontainer as having a re movable end 17 through which access may be hadto the hollow interior portion which we have utilized as a storagechamber 18. Formed the length of the container wall 16 is a passage 19having angular side walls 20 and 21 for a purpose which will behereafter disclosed. The thumb knob 22 is mounted upon one of thetrunnions and se cured thereto to effect the rotation of the cylindricalcontainer 16.

As before stated, the chamber 18 within the container is adapted to befilled with articles to be dispensed and is here shown as beingpartially filled with tooth-picks 23. The tooth-picks or other objectsare held within the container by means of a combination door and.delivering member 24 which is shown in Fig. 3 as closing the opening 19and preventing the tooth-picks from falling therefrom. The door member24: is mounted upon the cylinder 16 by means of hinges 25 which areprovided with springs 26 to insure that the door will remain in itsclosed position when the cylinder is at rest, as shown in Fig. ,3. Lugs27 are formed integral with and extend outwardly from the ends of thedoor member 24, said lugs being adapted to engage cam faces 28 formedupon the inner surface of the up right members 11 and 12.

Figs. 58 inclusive illustrate a modified form of my invention and ishere shown as comprising a base plate 29 having upright members 30 and31 extending vertically therefrom and provided with bores 32 for thereception of trunnions 33 and 34 of a cylindrical container 35. Thecontainer 35 is here shown as similar in construction, size, and shape,to the one used in my preferred device. It is provided with an opening36 which extends the length of the cylinder and is closed by a hingemember 37. Reference being had to Figs. 7 and 8 particularly, it will beseen that the hinge member 37 is held in its operative position by meansof supporting members 38 and 39.

Rotation of the cylindrical container 35 is effected by means of a leverarm 40 pivoted upon a pin 41 mounted within the upright 30. Said leverarm has mounted at its outer end an operating button 42, pressure uponwhich draws the arm down and effects the movement of a connecting rod43, one end of which is connected to the arm and the other end pivotallymounted upon the end of the container 35. A spring 44 is placed beneaththe arm 40 and holds it in its uppermost position.

In the operation of the preferred form of this device, when an articleis to be obtained therefrom the thumb knob 22 is grasped between thethumb and fore-finger and rotated in the direction indicated by thearrow a/-. This movement revolves the cylindrical container 16 andbrings the hinge door around to a position where its lugs 27 are inengagement with the cam faces 28. A continuation of this rotation forcesthe lug members 27 up over the cam faces 28 and causes the door 24 toswing away from the container. This movement allows one of the articlesto fall from the shoulder 45 of the door member 24 and be caught in thepan or tray 13. It may be here stated that when the container is at restwith its opening 19 in its lowermost position, the objects therein willlie over this opening and one of said objects will, when the containeris rotated as described, slip into a recess 46 formed between the hingemember and a lip 47 of the opening. When the cylinder is rotated theother articles will fall away from this wall of the cylinder and allowonly the one article to be released when the hinge door is raised. Thetaper faces 20 and 21 are formed to insure that no articles will belodged within the opening and be released when not desired.

In the modified form of the device the direction of rotation of thecylinder 35 is the same as that /of the former and preferred form.However, the hinge door 3'? is mounted upon its hinges and upon theopposite side of the opening 36 from that used in the formerconstruction. When it is desired to obtain an article from this device,the thumb piece 42 is depressed and this in turn rotates the cylinder inthe direction indicated by the arrow Z), one of the articles having beenlodged within an engaging shoulder 48 formed upon the hinge. Acontinuation of the pressure upon the member 42 will cause the hingemember to swing forwardly as indicated in Fig. 8 and rest upon thesupporting members 38 and 39. This will bring the article beingdispensed into reach of the operator and cause it to rest upon a traymember 49 formed as an extension of the hinged door 37. When thethumb-piece 42 is released, the spring 44 will draw'the. cylinder backinto the position indicated in Fig. 7 and allow another article to beengaged ready for dispensing.

It will thus be seen that theconstruction herein set forth provides asimple and effective means for sanitarily dispensing articles andinsuring that a given number will be drawn from the storage compartmentat each operation of the mechanism.

What I claim is:

1. In a dispensing device, a base member, a cylindrical containerrotatably mounted thereupon, a rectangular opening formed through thewall of the container and extending the longitudinal length thereof, andof a width approximately that of the width of an article to be dispensedtherethrough, a movable closure over said opening, and means for movingsaid closure to emit an article from the container upon the rotationthereof.

2. In a dispensing device, a base member, a hollow cylindrical containermounted to rotate upon said base member, a longitudinally extending slotformed through the wall of the container, a hinged member adapted tonormally close said slot, means for moving the hinged member out ofregister with the slot, and means formed upon said hinged member wherebya single article will be engaged and emitted therefrom upon the rotationof the cylindrical container.

3. In a dispensing device, a base member, uprights formed thereupon, acylindrical container horizontally disposed and rotatably mounted uponand between said uprights, means for rotating said container, a slotthrough the wall of said container and extending substantially thelongitudinal length thereof, said slot being formed with itslongitudinally extending walls at an inwardly divergent angle to eachother, a hinged closure mounted to rest over said opening, a shoulderformed upon the terminating edge of said hinged closure, said shoulderbeing adapted to rest against the outer wall of the container and form areceptacle in Combination with the outer Wall of the container wherebyan object may be lodged, and means whereby rotation of said containerwill act to swing said hinged clo-,

sure outwardly and away from the container and allow the article engagedthereby to be released therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLARD E. FREDERICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

